It is an overwhelming honour to be made patron of the 2019 Shetland Wool Week in what will be the 10th Festival. Shetland Wool Week was formed in conjunction with the Campaign for Wool which was launched (as the Wool Project) in January 2010 by HRH the Prince of Wales (Prince Charles). It is the Prince’s own initiative to raise the profile of wool with the customer. The Campaign for Wool is run by a cross industry steering group with representatives from all wool organisations and industry sectors and relevant member associations. It is an international group of bodies in the the U.K. Australia, New Zealand, Norway and the International Wool Textile Organisation. Within each country there are annually held events such as a Wool Week. The Shetland wool community are proud to have been part of this from the beginning.
The announcement that I would be Shetland’s Wool Week Patron 2019 was made at the Edinburgh Yarn Festival on 21st March. During this event I met with people from all over the world, spending time with old friends and making new friends.
There were four Shetland textile companies attending the event Jamieson & Smith Shetland Wool Brokers, Jamieson’s of Shetland, Uradale Yarns, & Shetland Handspun. With the exception of Shetland Handspun the other companies provided yarns for the patron’s Beanie hat design along with yarn from the Island of Foula.
My Life with Shetland Wool 